The concept of water storage

When it rains there is a need to store water before it drains out. Digging oof water reservoirs at prone areas to keep water for the community members during dry seasons and for animals consumptions. Technically, there was suppose to be closed ponds of water in every village made up of different materials. There are villages without animals neither portable water for human consumptions during dry season. The nature of lack of water has become a norm, though its not acceptable in the society, since there are villages out in the north who do not know of tap water irrespective of the season. So, as a country, there is a need to pump flood water into reservoirs and tanks for future relaying. 

Drought Season

 The year 2023 started off well, with massive rainfalls and thunderstorms. This made tremendous excitement among majority of the northern farmers and they cultivated large portions of land.

Later early February the rain stopped suddenly whereby plants started wilting and some farmers could not sow anymore after cultivating due to lack of rain after all. The whole of February, there was mere drops or either none at some places in the northern part of Namibia. According to some elders in Onanghulo village, they have expressed their concerns that a situation like this happened again the early 1950s and a lot of animals and some human kind suffered starvation. Therefore, it might be a history repeating itself, says Mr Kombaye Johannes.

The rain season became dry

 The year 2023 started off very promising when the rain started very pouring, non-stop. Many people gladly started ploughing their fields with high hope. Not too long when the plants germinated, the rain stopped, and people thought it was a bit of a break for cultivation. 

As weeks passed, people started to get worried of when the rain is returning. After 3 complete weeks passed, most of the plants started wilting, this led to farmers to stop cultivating, since it is not a good habit to continue cultivating while its hot.

The nation started to despair and stopped completely as the plants died out by the scotching sun. The drought season has great negative impacts on plants and animals in the long run.

Community utilises flood

 Advantages of flood

Namibian northern regions: Oshana, Omusati and Ohangwena regions are mostly affected by flooding water from Angola. Many Namibians are celebrating the flood, as it becomes the source of food and income to many young people. They mostly harvest fish, frogs and all other edible aquatic animals.

Selling of surplus helps young people to earn a living, at the same time they get food to eat for their family members. On the other hand, some uses flood water to establish and water their gardens.

Young people tend to use sleeping nets for fishing at bridges or points where it's safer to harvest fish. Therefore, flood has lots of benefits to communities were water loges. Most people who are closer to Angola-Namibians boarder do enjoy the nutrient-rich sediments which contributes to fertile environment for vegetation, deduced from: https://www.co.walton.fl.us. Generally, flood maintains floodplain biodiversity. 

Change in rainfall patterns

 The Namibian rainfall patterns

As the weather patterns change, it also affects the rainfall patterns. Namibian have been experiencing fluctuation in the rainfall patterns in recent years, which resulted into some years of drought and famine at some parts of the country. 

Sometimes the rain comes earlier than expected and stops earlier, leaving some farmers not complete the tasks of cultivating their whole fields. Subsequently, some parts of the country, especially the northern areas of Namibia have suffered hunger and drought for their animals.

Contrary to low rainfall, in the years of 2019, 2020, there has been a devastating flood, which has caused many families to relocate to high grounds. A lot of properties are ever destroyed by flood water, but the northern people equally benefitted from harvesting fish and other water edible creatures.